Buy a cyclone or remake my current DC

[Yuri Sadykov]

Guys,

I am planning to rework dust collection in my small one-car garage. Now I have Delta 50-850 DC with upgrades Wynn filter and use flexible piping to attach to machines. I want to install centralized DC piping and add a cyclone (buy from one from well known eBay guy).
Another possibility is to sell my current DC and just buy Grizzly G0702P and call it a day.
If I go first route, I need to spend
$250 for the cyclone
$70-$80 for remote
$50 - for dust bin
+ some for different hardware
Definitely I will save a little bit, but not much. My dilemma ...
Thought if I will do first route I will get exactly like I want it and optimal space saving, especially for my tiny shop, so that my main plan untill I hear some good argument for 2nd.
What do you think? Opinions?

[Joe A Faulkner]

For a 1 Car garage shop, you might consider adding a Thein Baffle (6" port variety) in front of your DC. I've done this with an old (circa 1980's Grizzly DC) and am relatively pleased with it. Lot's of examples here and elsewhere.

[Yuri Sadykov]

Joe,

I was thinking about Thein Baffle, but after some thinking I decided to with a cyclone. from all my reading around I feel (may be wrong) that a cyclone is little bit more efficient in dust separation and maybe in term of pressure drop, and I'd prefer not to invest mush time an making the baffle and dedicate that toward other aspects of woodworking.

[Jim Andrew]

You might check out that Julie Mor thread. Don't know if you do a lot of planing, but my 2hp cyclone is minimum for my planing. As for dust bin, I used a plastic 50 gal drum with a metal lid, was cheap, check out craigslist. As for the size of your cyclone, kind of depends on your plans, if you plan to make lots of dust, expand your equipment, get a 3hp minimum cyclone. If you plan to stay in a 1 car garage without growing, the size you have is probably adequate.

[Michael W. Clark]

I don't have any measurements to back up my statement, but I don't think you have enough power (1.5HP) to overcome the pressure drop in the cyclone and system duct and still provide adequate flow at the machines. The thein baffle is likely not as efficient as a cyclone, and I would suspect has a lower pressure drop. It would be a big improvement over your current setup and still allow you to draw more air from the machines. You can also put the baffle in the body of your single stage Delta so there is no floor space lost. To build it should only take a few hours. You will have much more time involved than that if you decide to buy a separate cyclone and re-duct, re-mount the fan/motor, etc.

My opinion would be to build the Thein baffle or buy a 2-3HP cyclone system.

[Joseph Tarantino]

Joe,

I was thinking about Thein Baffle, but after some thinking I decided to with a cyclone. from all my reading around I feel (may be wrong) that a cyclone is little bit more efficient in dust separation and maybe in term of pressure drop, and I'd prefer not to invest mush time an making the baffle and dedicate that toward other aspects of woodworking.

you might consider this modification that was made to a 50-850. it seems to send a much greater portion of a single stage DC's dust and chips to the collection bag as opposed to the filter. and isn't that main objective?

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/40189

[Phil Thien]

you might consider this modification that was made to a 50-850. it seems to send a much greater portion of a single stage DC's dust and chips to the collection bag as opposed to the filter. and isn't that main objective?

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/40189

Don't take this the wrong way, but...

The frying pan/wok methods won't work as well as the baffle. First, just looking at the 2nd pic of yours you can see that there is nowhere enough distance between the outlet (to your filter) and the pan, causing way more pressure drop than necessary.

But more importantly, the shape of the baffle not only improves separation of even fine dust, but keeps it separated by preventing scrubbing.

[Joseph Tarantino]

Don't take this the wrong way, but...

The frying pan/wok methods won't work as well as the baffle. First, just looking at the 2nd pic of yours you can see that there is nowhere enough distance between the outlet (to your filter) and the pan, causing way more pressure drop than necessary.

But more importantly, the shape of the baffle not only improves separation of even fine dust, but keeps it separated by preventing scrubbing.

appreciate the comment, phil. the 2nd pic you are referring to is the one to the right, correct? so if i understand the point you are making, the top of a flat baffle should, if viewed from the perspective of the pic to the left below, line up with the bottom of the drum inlet opening? this would make the distance between the bottom of the drum ring and the frying pan bottom much greater, right (maybe 2-3" distance)? and the 120 degree portion of the flat baffle should be like a "ramp" that starts at the drum inlet opening with the 240 degree "open" portion of the flat baffle beginning at the "end "of the "ramp"? have i got that right?

BTW, what's the downside of "causing way more pressure drop than necessary"?

[Michael W. Clark]

The more pressure drop, the less flow your fan develops.